


Gambit's Cat-astrophe

by firewolfsg



Series: Gambit's Cat-astrophe [1]
Category: X-Men (Comicverse)
Genre: Animal Transformation, Gen, Humor
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 1997-07-01
Updated: 1997-07-01
Packaged: 2017-11-23 06:04:52
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 5,689
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/618907
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/firewolfsg/pseuds/firewolfsg
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Gambit's been through a lot with the X-Men, but nothing that's happened has quite prepared him, or the X-Men, for this turn of affairs. ^_~</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. The Beginning

Morning. He's suppose to be up for the danger room session, but Gambit just yawns as he stretches in bed and snuggles deeper into the bed covers. He never liked mornings, it was no secret that this X-Man preferred to hibernate until noon.

He was going to especially hate *this* particular morning.

"Eew, what cha ya think ya doin' ya mangy critter?!"

Gambit went from a half doze to full wakefulness, when he felt a hand grip him about the back of his neck and hoist him off the bed.

"How did ya get in the house? An' how dare ya sleep in *his* bed?!"

[Wha?]

Before he knew it, Remy found himself carried out of the men's wing of the mansion and heading towards the front door.

"Out! Rotten - Mangy - " Rogue sounded as if she was trying to choke back her tears as she opened the front door.

#Rogue - chere? What did Gambit do t' you?#

"Remy?! Remy, where - where are ya?" Rogue swung around in confusion, inevitably also swinging him around the room as she still held him by the back of his neck.

#What do y' mean, you're - ?#

Rogue stared at the hall mirror, and at the reflection of the black cat with red on black eyes which she was holding in her right hand.

On that bright sunny morning, twin shrieks resounded in the mansion, one vocal, one telepathic. The cacophony was enough to bring all the X-Men racing to the foyer.

"Rogue! Child, are you all right? What is it? Who was that - that other voice?"

Rogue couldn't answer as she sat on the floor staring at the hall mirror, in front of which stood an adolescent, black cat. A cat whose paws rested on the mirror's surface as it stared into it's own red on black eyes.

"Re - Remy?" she pointed her hand shakily at the cat.

Storm stared from the southern belle to the cat, "Y - you must be mistaken, child. This - this - Remy?"

Before more could be said, Scott appeared at the door closely followed by Jean.

"What's the situation? Rogue, what happe-"

In a lightning move, the black cat turned away from the mirror to launched itself into the air and land on the blue team leader's chest.

#SCOTT! What de hell happened on dat last mission?!!#

"G-g-ga-Gambit?" Scott reeled back against the door frame, as the X-Men's jaws collectively dropped at the revelation.

#Oui! Cest moi. I become a telepathic cat; a C - A - T, Cat! What de hell happened t' me?!#

Scott hissed, as four sets of claws dug through his shirt to stop the cat from slipping off his chest.

"G - Gambit, Rem - Remy, ca - calm down. You're understandably distraught-"

#Distraught?#

Scott winced under him.

#Oui, how you guess? Is my tail wagging?#

"Remy, er ... please ... let's move this to the kitchen, sit down-"

"Have a bowl of milk."

#Arrraaaghh!#

"Ow, ow, OW! Gambit! Your claws, your claws! OOOOOW!"

Jean shot an angry look at Bobby who raised his hands with a helpless shrug, his face was red as he tried hard not to laugh.

"Hey, a cup of coffee didn't seem too appropriate."

Even Storm was looking strained, while Bishop stared at the spectacle with an expression of disbelief.

"Remy, please calm down. We are not going to accomplish anything, standing here watching you scratch Scott to bits."

"Remy, sugah? It'll be okay, we'll figure out something." Rogue reached up to grip him under his arms, and eased him off Scott's chest, "Let go of Scottie?"

#I'm a - telepathic - black - cat? How did dis happen?#

With that last thought, most of the X-Men disappeared into the kitchen with Gambit, while the Beast guided Scott towards the infirmary.

"What an astonishing development. This really is a fascinating turn of events."

"Oooow."

"I'm sure Remy will buy you a new shirt once he calms down." Jean offered as she took her husband's other arm.

"This can't be happening? It's - it's just - this is too *weird* even for the X-Men."

"On the contrary, O' fearless leader. Weirdness is a vital component in the life of an X-Men. But I digress. To the infirmary first Scott, I had better give you a tetanus shot. We don't know what Remy's claws were last in."

"OoW, those things *hurt*."

"Don't be a baby, dear. It's for your own good."

@};-'- @};-'-

The X-Men couldn't help but stare at the black cat as it lapped at the bowl of milk on the kitchen table. For what it was worth, Gambit was a rather handsome, sleek black cat, with red highlights to his short coat, and red tipped ears.

It had obviously taken a lot of effort, but he was no longer hysterical over his recent transformation. Though, it did appeared as if he had descended into shock as he numbly lapped at the milk.

Storm nodded towards Scott, Jean and Hank, as they returned from the infirmary.

"Now then, let us recap what transpired on the previous mission." Storm turned to glare briefly at certain members of the assemblage who appeared to be fighting down laughter.

Scott gingerly took a seat.

"Tetanus shot in the butt? Those things *hurt*." Bobby nodded to him sympathetically.

Scott rolled his eyes before he began his recital of the mission log ...

"... We were ambushed by Sinister when we were investigating a rumored base."

#Oui, Gambit remembered dat.#

"You were in front of me then-"

"Speed it up Slim. We 'member all of that. Up until Sinister brought the roof down on us."

"We couldn't find ya when we dug ourselves out, Remy."

"It was our thought, that Sinister had used the base as a lure to capture one of us."

Jean reached out to give Scott's hand a reassuring squeeze.

#Only, Scottie's still here.#

"But how did *you* get back here, Remy? What happened to you?"

#It's - it's - fuzzy. Gambit remember waking up in de hanger - #

"See, I told ya I smelled a cat." Logan sounded rather smug, "Gumbo must have been sleeping in one of those crates we brought back from Sinister's lab."

#But when did I become a cat? *How* did I become a cat?#

All eyes turned towards Hank who was looking rather bewildered.

"How should I know? Damn it Jim, I'm a doctor, not a psychic!"

The X-men collectively groaned.

"Seriously, though Remy, I haven't seen anything in your mutant physiology which remotely indicates an ability to morph into an animal. Not that that's impossible, perhaps a visit to my lab-"

#What y' starin' at, Joseph?# Gambit cut the beast off abruptly, to glare at the white-haired X-Man, who had been staring intently at him through the whole conversation.

"Nothing - literally. Remy? Did you notice, that you've been neutered?"

The black cat visibly stiffened.

"Does that say anything about your human body?" Bobby squeaked, as he started to lose it.

Bobby just didn't have the strength to hold it back any longer. A snort slipped out, and before he could control it he was laughing. This was understandably infectious and within minutes the rest of the X-Men joined in, unable to stop themselves.

A low hum started unheard amidst all the laughter.

#Dis is NOT funny!#

A series of kinetic explosions threw Bobby away from the table. The laughter died immediately as everyone leaped to their feet.

Bobby picked himself off the floor shakily, his hands reached for the missing buttons of his jacket.

"How - ? You weren't touching-"

But Gambit was no longer on the table.

@};-'- @};-'-

"Cajun, come down. Cyke has the whole team looking fer yer." Wolverine climbed up the tree, "We're all worried about yer."

#Go away.#

"Gumbo, we know yer upset -"

#Upset? Upset?! Of course I'm upset! Gambit is a CAT! What is dere not t' be upset about? I'm a telepathic, mutant, black, cat, a 'T - M - B - C!' I could probably have my own cartoon.# Remy was trying hard not to cry, but he wasn't succeeding.

Wolverine continued climbing towards the pair of red on black eyes, which gleamed at him from the higher branches.

"Cajun, I'm not going away, I know I'm not 'zactly yer first choice of people to talk ta, but talk ta me. Yer not upset cause yer a cat. Got somethin' else yer ain't told us."

Silence.

"Well if it'll make yer feel better, we talked about it and figured out that that's probably not yer real body."

Logan waited, and his patience was finally rewarded.

#Gambit guessed as much, but it also mean Sinister got his real body. What if - what if Gambit, can' get his body back?#

"Then we'll make Sinister clone yer a new one."

#Maybe he not able t'?#

"What cha sayin' Gumbo?"

Silence enveloped them again.

"Gumbo?"

#Gambit ... was one of Sinister's experiments once.#

"What?! What did the bastard do ta yer? Why didn't yer tell us?"

Logan waited, but the black cat had its eyes closed.

"Kid, we don't know what yer did in yer past, maybe Sinister was part of that past for a spell, but that's yer own business. We know yer for what yer are now, Gumbo, and yer're family. Yer don't have ta hide from us."

"Look, I won't tell the others. And I'll even sneak yer back ta look in on the fun, kid. They're all crawling on hands and knees around the house looking fer yer. Let us help yer deal with this, okay?"

#Okay ... Er - Logan?#

"Yeah?"

#Can y' come up an' get me? Gambit climbed too high, and he not sure if he know how t' get down.#

Wolverine sighed as he gingerly made his way up the higher branches, "I'm coming Cajun. Hang in there."

#Ha - Ha. Dat is t' laugh.#

"Yer *had* to climb this high didn't yer?" Wolverine gently reached up towards the nervous cat, "If I fall Gumbo, I'm leavin' yer up here fer Jeannie."

But that indignity was avoided, as Wolverine managed to get his hand around the lithe black cat. Wolverine cradled him in the crook of one hand, as he climbed back down.

"Well, we can say one thing, Gumbo. At least we don't got ta worry about yer if a randy female comes by - Ow! Watch the claws! I ain't down yet!"

#Merde, dat would be embarrassing.#

"Having a litter of kittens, Gumbo?" Wolverine guffawed as he landed on solid ground, "I'm sure Rogue would understan- Ooow! Okay, okay! I'll stop teasing yer."

#Y' know Logan, I think I understand how much fun having claws is now.#

\- Shnik -

"Eat yer heart out, Gumbo. Mine are longer." Wolverine admired his foot long claws.

#Ahh, but Gambit has *four* sets o' claws.#


	2. Now What?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> When we last left the X-Men: Remy was revealed to have had his mind imprisoned in a cat. Is the Cajun ready to be left at the tender mercies of those he would call friends?

**In the kitchen of the X-mansion ...**

"Here ya go, Sugah." Rogue place a bowl in front of him.

#What's dat?#

"It's - well, it's cat food."

The black cat just stared at her.

"Aw, come on Remy, ya got ta eat something. Bobby and Joseph went out to specially buy this for ya. They're sorry for laughing at ya."

#Yeah right.# he sniffed at the bowl suspiciously, #The can probably reads like a riot.#

"It's not ya real body, Remy. But ya still got ta feed it the proper - er - cat nutrition."

#But dat's not all dis is. What else y' put in dis, chere?#

"Ya promise ta eat it?"

#Dat depends, chere.# The cat sat down again and stared up at her.

"Well, Hank suggested it. We got ya some - er worm tablets - Ya won't taste them, I mixed it up real good."

Gambit sighed as he took a tentative bite, and proceeded to lick the bowl clean.

As the black cat settled down to clean itself, Rogue prepared a litter box and placed it near the back door.

#Don't tell me-#

"Er - well -"

#I hate dis.#

"Do ya need to ... "

#What? Y' want t' watch?#

"No! 'course not." She blushed furiously, "It's just that - ah - er need ta -"

Gambit saw the truth in her mind before she could shield that thought. He bolted, but Rogue was much faster than any cat alive.

#Y' can' be serious?! Chere!?#

"Ah'm sorry, Remy. But ... well ... er ... " Rogue carried him out of the house apologetically.

Bishop was waiting for them beside an ominous tub, into which he had briefly dipped his hand.

#Chere?! Pup?! Y' can' do dis t' Gambit!?#

The big man rubbed his neck awkwardly with his dry hand as they approached, the expression on his face was also deeply apologetic.

@};-'- @};-'-

"So how is Gambit, er - adjusting to his - situation?" Scott asked Ororo as she stalked into the absent Xavier's office.

"As well as he can, I suppose." She told him coldly as her eyes stared daggers across the desk.

"What is it, Ororo?"

"A collar?"

"I had Hank make the communicator collar for him. Gambit can't carry our usual communicator - "

"Yes, but a collar?!" Storm hissed from between clenched teeth, "Remy, is not a pet. In any case, he is a telepath, why does he need a communicator?"

Scott scratched his head uncomfortably, "It's safer for him. At least strangers won't take him for a stray, if he happens to wander off the grounds. Gambit would hardly want to speak to them telepathically."

"Scott, I would believe that Remy's already feeling bad enou-"

"REMY! PUT THAT DOWN! GAMBIT!"

The two X-Men rushed to the window to see what Bishop was screaming about.

"REMY! JEAN! JEAN! HE'S GOING TO EAT THAT BIRD! JEAN!"

Scott and Ororo exchanged looks, as Phoenix swooped passed the window to catch the black cat in her telekinetic bubble.

@};-'- @};-'-

[Bored ... bored ... bored ... bored ...]

Remy sighed as he looked through the glass of the window, [Okay, so Gambit was stalking birds, and he caught one. Not like I was going t' eat it. Bish didn't have t' call Jeannie down on me like dat.]

The cat wondered past the front door and looked wistfully at the sealed cat door, [Dey didn't have t' confine me t' de house.]

The cat moved on and stopped at the stairs to scratch itself, [Stupid collar. Yeah right, it's pretty t' see a red collar on a black cat. Whoopee. Wish it didn't itch so much.]

He shook his head and looked up the stairs for a moment, [Non, Stormy be mad if Remy go up an' eat one o' her ferns again.]

[Now dat I couldn't help. Wasn't like I really meant t' eat her fern. It ... jus happened.] Remy entered the rec room and leaped on to the sofa, [I hate dis.]

[Bored ... bored ... bored ... bored ...] He found a loose thread on the sofa.

[Merde, what do cats do f' entertainment? Not like I c'n watch TV, or work out in de Danger Room. Bored ... bored ... bored ... bored ...]

Scratch ... Scratch ... Scratch ... Scratch ...

[Don't see why it's so difficult f' Jeannie t' use Cerebro t' find Gambit's body.]

Scratch ... Scratch ... Scratch ... Scratch ...

[What is Sinister doing t' y' body now, Remy?]

Scratch ... Scratch ... Scratch ... Scratch ...

[Y' t'ink y' body's still alive?]

Scratch ... Scratch ... Scratch ... Scratch ...

[Well de homme did say once, Gambit more valuable t' him alive dan dead.]

Scratch ... Scratch ... Scratch ... Scratch ...

[Never really gave it dat much thought. Gambit, jus' wanted t' stay out o' his lab.]

Scratch ... Scratch ... Scratch ... Scratch ...

Remy didn't look up when Rogue entered the room. He sensed her, as she pause at the door for a moment before coming to kneel on the floor beside him.

Scratch ... Scratch ... Scratch ... Scratch ...

"Er ... Remy?"

Scratch ... Scratch ... Scratch ... Scratch ...

#Yeah, chere?#

Scratch ... Scratch ... Scratch ... Scratch ...

"Are ya all right, Remy?"

Scratch ... Scratch ... Scratch ... Scratch ...

#Oui. 'm just peachy.#

Scratch ... Scratch ... Scratch ... Scratch ...

"Remy ... Sugah, ah think ya should stop."

Scratch ... Scratch ... Scratch ... Scratch ...

#Huh? Stop what?#

Scratch ... Scratch ... Scratch ... Scratch ...

"Er ... the sofa, Remy?"

Scratch ... Scratch ... Scra-

#MERDE!#

Remy leaped to his feet as he stared at the gaping hole in front of him. #I ... I ... Merde! What? I wasn't - I didn't - I - did?#

They heard the footsteps of someone approaching the rec room. Rogue snatched him up in her arms and ran for it.

"We'd better scat, Sugah. It'll fit our luck that that will be Scottie."

True enough, Scott's bellow reverberated in the mansion as Rogue exited the back door and took to the air.

"GAMBIT!!!"

@};-'- @};-'-

"Scott, you are NOT going to de-claw Gambit." Storm announced firmly before she took her seat in the briefing room.

"Did you see what-"

"Remy's been under a lot of strain, if you haven't noticed. He's stuck in the body of a neutered cat. You've fed him worm tablets. You had him bathed and flea dipped. You've made him wear that collar ... barred him from the roof ... locked him in the house ... I will not let you touch him."

"Storm, it won't hurt him. He's just borrowing the body."

"No."

"It'll save the furniture- "

"No!"

"He won't feel a thing."

"NO!"

"Scott, Remy's always used the scratching post I bought for him. It isn't as if you caught him sharpening his claws on the sofa."

"I don't think Remy realized what he was doing, until it was brought to his attention." Jean tried to ease the tension between her husband and her friend, "Remy must have been bored out of his skull. He wouldn't intentionally tear up the sofa."

Storm threw a grateful look at Joseph and Jean, before she turned back to Scott.

"Scott, we have to get Remy's body back. That is the only acceptable solution to Remy's condition. He, is not responsible for his current state of mind."

Scott took a deep breath, "If we can find Sinister. Even then, how are we sure we can get Gambit's body back?"

"Sinister's gonna clone a body for Gumbo, if we can't get the original back."

"Where are Rogue and Gambit anyway."

"They're probably hiding until your temper's back under control. I know some places Rogue might go. If you want, I could go look for them."

"Maybe later, Joseph."

"All right, Bobby and I need to go shopping again anyway."

"For what?"

"Cat toys. We don't know how permanent this will be, and Remy's going to need them if we want our furniture to stay intact."

"I think you mean, 'to keep Scott from strangling him first.'"

@};-'- @};-'-

"Feeling better, Sugah?" Rogue looked down at the cat which was curled on her lap.

#I can't go on like dis, chere. Am I a cat? Or am I a man? No ... don't answer dat.#

"We'll find ya body, Remy." Rogue stroked him, "It'll be all right."

After a moment, Gambit leaped off Rogue's lap and started to wander away from her.

"Remy?"

#I jus' need t' stretch my legs a moment, chere.#

"Don't wander off too far, sugah. We should be getting back soon."

#Okay, chere.#

Remy walked out of sight for a moment to be alone with his thoughts. It was becoming more and more difficult for him to remember his identity. And it was starting to show, first with the fern, then lately when he had taken to leaping on the laps of the X-Women to be scratched and cuddled, ... and the sofa.

[I gotta find my body, somehow.]

His mind was too preoccupied to register his kinetic senses screaming at him, until it was too late. A black cloth fell over him.

"Got you." The voice was unmistakable.

#ROGUE!#

@};-'- @};-'-

Bobby and Joseph were laying out various cat toys while Bishop watched in mild interest.

"Are you sure Gambit will be appreciative of this?" Bishop picked up an obviously fake mouse by the tail.

"He'll love it. It's full of catnip."

"That's not what I meant. I'm sure this will all be fine for a real cat, but Remy?"

"We have to keep Remy alive first, Bishop. A feat, I'm sure will be a challenge, if he continues to infuriate Scott. This will at least occupy him in less dangerous activity."

"It's perfectly all right for a cat to be sleeping on Jean's lap."

"Bobby, we are talking about Remy. Scott wasn't amused. And Jean was feeling guilty for enticing him over with a scratch."

"Scott's a dog person, that's all there is to it. Can you believe that he's actually jealous of a cat?"

"It doesn't make it any easier on Scott's nerves, that all the ladies have taken to mothering that cat."

"But Remy, isn't appreciative of that kind of attention." Bishop protested, "He doesn't like being treated like a cat."

"Until we recover his body, he's going to have to cope."

A general alarm sounded from their communicators.

"All X-Men meet in the briefing room in five minutes." Scott's voice piped from the compact instrument, "Someone's kidnapped our cat."


	3. It's your fault!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> When we last left the X-Men:Remy was catnapp - er ... kidnapped! Now, what does our poor Catjun - er ... Cajun, have to endure?

Sinister shook his head, as he looked through the grills of the cat carrier, at the black cat with red on black eyes. Remy hissed at him, his ears were laid back as he bared his fangs at the pallid face.

"Stop that, LeBeau. It's unbecoming and frankly not like you at all."

#Oh? Like it's Gambit's fault dat he acting like a cat?#

"Well, it certainly isn't my fault your mind was transferred into this feline when we last met."

#I find dat hard t' believe.#

"If you did not insist on ignoring the powers I've grafted on you-"

#Gambit never asked f' any o' dat sh-#

"Well, you've got them. Stop being childish about it, and learn how to use those powers properly." Sinister snarled back, "This current state is your fault."

#Is not!#

"Is too."

#Is not!#

"Is - Remy ... we are not going to start arguing like children."

The cat spat at him.

Sinister sucked in a deep breath and let it out again.

"LeBeau, it's times like this, when I wonder why I had to find your mutant physiology so fascinating."

Remy looked out of the cat carrier to stare at his human body, which lay hooked up to various monitors and other medical equipment, #Y' didn't vivisect my body?#

"Of course not. I kept your body alive. It's the only one we have. Until I can learn how to clone it, that is."

#Y' still not sure why y' can' clone Gambit's body?#

"Or why your body is so adaptable to introduced mutations."

The cat hissed at him, #What y' do to Gambit dis time?#

"Care to find out?" Sinister placed the cat carrier next to his body, "LeBeau, it would be a much more beneficial relationship, if you would agree to work with me."

#Why? So y' can experiment on Gambit anytime y' want, stead o' wasting time t' kidnap him?#

"Remy, I did teach you how to exercise exquisite control over your kinetic charge powers."

#Not out o' de goodness o' y' heart. Gambit not a Marauder!#

"This is getting tiresome, Remy." Sinister opened the door to the cat carrier, "You've already wasted enough of my time, with the separation of your mind and body. It took me this long, to create a tracer to locate your mind. Now we've got to get your mind back into your body. Then we'll talk."

Remy was crouched at the far end of the cat carrier, with a paw raised and claws armed.

"Remy, I hate tetanus shots. They ache for days. If you scratch me, I will have you neutered."

#Somebody else already done dat.#

"I am not referring to the borrowed body."

Remy retracted his claws and allowed Sinister to pulled him out.

#Not going t' be a Marauder.#

"Did I give you a choice? Now hold still and let me work."

The black cat sat beside the body, and glowered at Sinister as he started to attach wires to it's head.

"All right? This shouldn't hurt."

#Where have I heard dat before?#

Sinister ignored him as he flipped a few switches. Nothing happened.

"Oops."

#'Oops?' Whadda y' mean 'Oops?'#

Sinister stared from the cat, to Remy's body, and back.

"It didn't work as I theorized it should."

#WHAT!#

Sinister clutched at his head.

"LeBeau, please refrain from shouting in telepathic speech. I can hear you quite well."

#GAMBIT, GOIN' T' DO MORE DAN SHOU-#

Sinister's hand closed over the scruff of his neck and yanked him off the table.

"Remy, I am not going to ask twice. If you give me any more trouble I will kill you, and save myself the bother of relocating your mind back into your body. Have I made myself clear?"

#Oui.#

@};-'- @};-'-

"Got him." Scott's smile was a trifle smug as the X-Men looked at a small 'X' blinking on a map of New York.

"Yer sure that's where Gumbo is?"

"Unless his captors removed his collar."

Storm only gave him a flinty glare.

@};-'- @};-'-

The black cat walked from one end of the table to the other, beside Gambit's body. It stopped for a moment to scratch at it's collar, before standing and resuming it's trek.

"LeBeau, will you sit down!"

#Gambit's bored! Least when Gambit had a human body, he could be doing somethin' when y' didn't have him on de slab.#

The cat stopped for a moment to regard the body, #Well, t' be fair, y' do have Gambit on de slab. But what's a cat t' do?!#

"I did have a problem with vermin-"

Gambit scowled at him.

"I thought not."

_A few minutes later ..._

"LeBeau! I will not ask you again!"

The black cat blew a raspberry at the pallid scientist, prompting Sinister to grab him off the table and tuck him under one arm.

_Still later ..._

Sinister looked around puzzled, in the course of the last half hour or so, he had started to hear a low rumble. He had checked and double checked his instruments, but as far as he could tell, it had not come from there. It took him a moment, to realize that the rumble was coming from around his person.

Sinister stared down at the crook of his arm where he had last placed Gambit. True enough, Sinister had unconsciously taken to scratching the cat under it's chin, and Remy was responding to the attention by purring. Sinister started to curse.

"LeBeau? Gambit?!" Sinister whipped him out in front of his face, and shook the cat in front of him. " Remy?!!"

#Huh? What? What?#

"Just checking."

#Y' done yet?# The cat yawned in his face.

Sinister wrinkled his nose, "Fortunately, I should no longer need to worry about cat breath."

#Y' c'n return Gambit t' his body?"

"For all intents and purposes, yes. Now, I know my instruments failed because of your psi-shields."

#What dat mean?#

"If you want to return to your body, you will have to let down your shields so that I can access your mind."

#Non! De last time Gambit let y' in, y' near t' erased Gambit! Y' took over Gambit's mind!#

"Unfortunately, you have little choice in this, Remy. If you want your body back, you will have to return to me."

#Non! Gambit not a Marauder!#

"Remy, you either let down your shields, or I will break them down. You are of greater use to me in your own body." Sinister carried the black cat towards Gambit's body.

#Gambit don' want dis!#

"That is not your choice, LeBeau."

"An' it ain't yer business ta decide for Gumbo." Wolverine's growl was never more welcomed by the Cajun.

Wolverine emerged from behind the door, closely followed by the full team of X-Men. They spread out quickly, battle ready for anything Sinister could possibly throw at them.

"Put our cat down, Sinister."

"Gambit belongs to me, X-Men. I suggest you leave." Sinister immediately shifted his grip to hold the struggling cat under his arm.

"Remy belongs ta himself! And with the X-Men!"

"Oh? Does the X-Men accept Marauders in it's ranks now?"

"The Cajun weren't in the bunch that slaughtered the Morlocks, Sinister." Wolverine's growl put the other X-Men at ease, "I don't forget a scent."

"Release Gambit, Sinister. The X-Men are not leaving without him."

"In his own body?" Sinister's free hand hovered over the still figure on the table, the energy crackled over his hand ominously. "Or as a cat?"

A kinetic explosion blew two legs off the table, tipping Gambit's body on the floor away from them, and sending Sinister reeling in the other direction. Caught by surprise, Sinister's grip loosened sufficiently for the black cat to squirm free.

Cyclops was there immediately with his optic blasts as soon as Gambit got clear. As was Rogue, who punched the stumbling mutant away from Gambit's body and the cat. Storm's follow up bolts of lightning kept Sinister off balance long enough, for Bishop and Wolverine to get into position between Sinister and his captive.

Sinister cursed as he saw Gambit being protected by Phoenix's telekinetic shields. There was no opportunity for him to turn the situation back under his control.

"I will yet bring you back into my fold, LeBeau."

#Y' can't make me!#

"That is not your choice."

With that, Sinister disappeared in a flash of light.

@};-'- @};-'-

Scott and Jean knelt beside Gambit's body as they looked at the black cat.

#How much did y' hear?#

"Enough to know you were once one of Sinister's experiments. Why didn't you tell us?"

#It - didn't start out dat way.# Remy's tail flickered from side to side, #Gambit ... dere was a time when Gambit was losing control o' his powers. Gambit didn't want t' hurt nobody.#

Rogue gasped, "That theater? That was one time ... Sinister found ya then?"

#Oui.#

Scott looked back at Rogue for a moment, he didn't quite understand the reference, but he could guess.

"And Sinister offered to help you bring your powers under control?"

#Oui.#

"Only he didn't stop there."

#Oui.#

"It became an endless trek of testing and experimenting."

#Oui.#

"Remy," Scott reached down to stroke him comfortingly, "You don't have to be ashamed. Sinister manipulated you. It wasn't your fault. I know Sinister enough to guess that he took you, when you were most vulnerable. And you accepted his help, because he looked like the only one able to give it to you."

The cat flinched slightly, and arched it's back under his touch.

#He made - he wanted t' make me a Marauder.#

"But you never wanted to be one."

#Non. Kept me in cause he couldn't clone me, an' he didn't want t' risk losing my body.#

"But you did try to leave."

#He - wouldn't let me.#

"But you eventually escaped."

#Ran 's far 's Gambit could get. Dat's when I met Stormy.#

"All this time, you've been avoiding even Hank's labs, because of what Sinister did to you?" Jean asked as she stroked his head.

The cat continued to stare at the floor, it's tail flickering.

#The homme, called me his living experiment. Gambit, was never a telepath, before ... I - I don't know half o' what he did t' my body. I don't know what he did dis time.#

"Hank can -"

Gambit visibly cringed at this.

"Remy, Hank isn't Sinister. He's not going to experiment on you."

"Sorry, its jus ... it's jus dat Remy found out de Dark Beast used t' work f' Sinister. An' he was hiding among us f' a time."

"I will be there for you, Remy." Storm offered, "Trust us, and let us help you."

#Okay, Stormy.#

"Don't call me that."

"You still want to get back in your body, don't you?"

#Course I do.#

Jean's hand came under his chin, not to scratch it, but to lift his head so that she could look into his eyes.

"Will you trust me then, Remy?" She asked him softly, "I can return your mind to your body; but that means you're going to have to let me past your shields so that I can pull out you of the cat and back into your body."

#Will y' see my memori-#

"Remy, your past is your own business. I promise you I will not betray your trust, and even if I do see some memories I will keep your confidence. I won't judge you Remy. None of us have any right, or are in any position to judge anyone else. Will you trust me?"

Red on black eyes gazed into the green eyes of the telepath. In those eyes, Jean could read the uncertainty, pain and guilt of the man whose soul was in the cat.

#Y' promise, chere?#

"Of course, Remy. Will you let me help you?"

#Oui.#

@};-'- @};-'-

Remy opened his eyes to find himself back in his room and looking up at the X-Men who surrounded his bed. He raised his hand to feel his face.

"Oh t'ank god. I'm back. T'anks Jeannie."

"Good to have you human again, Remy." Scott grinned, "Not, that it hasn't been fun-"

"Merde. I don't ever want t' be in dat much trouble again."

Rogue grinned as she gave his hand a gentle squeeze.

Remy looked down at the unaccustomed warmth against his chest, and saw the cat, whose body he had been in for the past week, snuggled against him. It opened it's green eyes and purred to him.

"Hey dere, guess I gained a pet cat from dis."

"You going to keep it?"

"Guess I have to. See'n how close we were f' de last week."

"Great, you owe Bobby and me sixty bucks for toys and cat supplies, Remy."

"I what?"

"Hey, you didn't eat cheap. We bought you quality stuff."

"Okay, okay. I owe him dat much." Remy reached over to stroke his cat, who purred even louder at his touch.

"Do you feel up to joining us for dinner, Remy?"

"Sure, why not? 'Least I c'n sit at de table again, stead o' under it. What's f' dinner?"

"Fish."

~Thud~

"Bobby! Ya did that on purpose!" Rogue started to slap Remy's face gently, "Remy? We're having chicken, Remy. It's mah southern fried chicken. Wake up. Remy?"

"Good one, Bobby." Scott reached over to grab the black cat, "And while Remy's out of it, I am going to get this cat de-clawed."

"Oh no, you're not!" Storm snatched the cat away from him.

"But ... but ... it's not Remy anymore."

"That doesn't matter. No!"

"It'll save the furniture-"

"NO!"

  
**The End** ;-)


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